Alert #9 on Tropical Storm Fiona Issued by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology, Sunday 18th September 2022 at 12 NOON EDT.
...FIONA BECOMES A HURRICANE… ...TORRENTIAL RAINS AND MUDSLIDES OCCURRING ACROSS PUERTO RICO AND THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC…
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF INAGUA, MAYAGUANA, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, SAMANA CAY, LONG CAY AND RAGGED ISLAND, AND ALL THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD BE EXPERIENCED IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 48 HOURS.
AT 11 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FIONA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.3 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 66.5 DEGREES WEST, OR ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF PONCE PUERTO RICO, OR 420 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COCKBURN TOWN, GRAND TURK, OR 540 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MATTHEW TOWN INAGUA, OR 900 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.
FIONA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. A NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATER TODAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY, FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH NORTHWEST ON TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF FIONA WILL MOVE NEAR OR OVER PUERTO RICO THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING. FIONA WILL THEN MOVE NEAR THE NORTHERN COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TONIGHT AND MONDAY, AND NEAR OR TO THE EAST OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS ON TUESDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 80 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS WHILE FIONA MOVES NEAR PUERTO RICO, THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, AND EAST OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
TROPICAL STORM WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
ON THE FORECAST TRACK, IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT FIONA WILL PASS EAST OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE 3 TO 6 INCHES OVER THE ISLANDS.
RESIDENTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MAKE PREPARATIONS FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS BEGINNING EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. THIS INCLUDES TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS, HEAVY RAINFALL, LOCALIZED FLOODING AND OVERTOPPING OF WAVES ALONG ATLANTIC EXPOSED SHORELINES.
SWELLS GENERATED BY FIONA ARE AFFECTING THE NORTHERN COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, AND THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS. BEACHGOERS ARE TO REFRAIN FROM ENTERING THE WATERS AS LIFE-THREATENING SURF AND RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE. SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ARE ADVISED NOT TO VENTURE FAR FROM PORT.
THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE FIONA WILL BE ISSUED AT 3PM EDT.
ISSUED BY: MARY BUTLER
CHIEF METEOROLOGICAL OFFICER
THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY
(Visit webpage met.gov.bs for updates)
